If you've been following the tales of Armand
Singer, you know that jazz was his music of
choice. Jazz with a powerful bass and strong
ending. "Not the kind of music that ends as
though they're tired of playing it", he once
told me.
Remember too, that classical music filled
the Singer household when Armand was a boy.
His father was a teacher
in voice and Armand appreciated gifted
musicians. On occasion, classical music
commanded his presence.
In the following diary entry, he
describes a performance by pianist Walter
Gieseking (pictured at the piano).
May 19, 1956
Left Ann, just then beginning to get
measles with adult baby sitter (somewhat
uneasily, but we phoned her from Pittsburgh),
drove with Rebecca Wade (her car), Sara
Smith and Elizabeth Reed to hear Walter
Gieseking in piano recital at Carnegie Music
Hall.
He's 70-ish, just up from auto wreck that
killed his wife and left him somewhat limpy,
but huge, powerful man. Played with
unbelievable, effortless ease. Literally
flapped his hands over the notes.
Used a Baldwin, with its rather
non-resonated tone, but even so - superb
player and sound. His runs, trills, strong
notes, etc., remarkable and vigorous. The
last man, Theodore
Lettvin, was good and very, very able and
dexterous - but as a babe along side Gieseking.
Did Beethoven's Sonata in D Minor
superbly. A set of Brahms' piano pieces, opus
76-79, here and there. Two lovely flowing
Schubert Impromptus in B and A flat major and
a set of Debussy numbers including six
preludes from the second
book!...It and Les Tierces
Alternees and
Ondine especially lovely and/or
pyrotechnical.
Not all selections were superb, but all
superbly played. Pianistically, as critics
say, very satisfying.
Gieseking died in his sleep five months after
this performance. Listen to him play on Last
FM
Photo: Martin Streisand